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<p>The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is an immediate
priority for the Department for International Development (DFID), we have dedicated
teams leading a coordinated UK HMG response effort. The UK is one of the leading donors
to the response in DRC, and preparedness efforts in the region.</p><p>DFID have so
far contributed £33.5 million to Ebola in DRC in 2018/19. Moreover, we are the leading
donor by far for regional preparedness, contributing £14 million across the most-at-risk
countries (mainly for Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan). We have also provided
specialist staff into the response and are continuing to push other donors to step
up their engagement. Beyond funding and technical support, we are actively lobbying
to improve management of the response, including coordination. While the efforts of
the Government of DRC and the WHO have been laudable, significant improvements must
be made in terms of coordination and management to bring the outbreak to an end.</p><p>I
plan to visit North Kivu in Eastern DRC later this month to understand the situation
on the ground and how the UK can continue to support the response. One immediate priority
is the need to galvanise other donors to support the response and preparedness efforts.
We are also working closely with responders on the ground to ensure management and
coordination of the response reflects the severity of the current situation and the
high risk of further spread, and to build trust with affected communities.</p>
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